Polishing machine for impeller wheels



April 3, 1951 H. c. STIEGLITZ POLISHING MACHINE FOR IMPELLER WHEELS 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 18, 1948 I: Fez 7722.2"

April 3, 1951 H. c. STlEGLlTZ POLISHING MACHINE FOR IMPELLER WHEELS 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 18, 1948 g 7 W j A mwm W r TY E Olu O v H kmE m 1K V 2 I 1P" m 9 n n u u n 3s X lluuhnn |1||| m :m I 5- 3Sheets-Sheet 3 April 3, 1951 Filed March 18, 1948 Patented Apr. 3, 1951UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POI JI SHING MA CHINE FOR-IMPELIJER 3 WHEELSHenry C. Stieglitz, Oleveland;hio,.assignor to -Thomps0n- Products,Inc., Cleveland, 0hio,' a

corporation of Ohio Application March 18, 1948;:Serial-N0;"15;536

As'will'be recognized by those skilled in this art, the surfaces of thevanes of an' impeller wheel are of relativelybomplex configuration,for'themost part having in cross-sectional contour an arcuateconfiguration wherein the radius 1.

of curvature of successive portions of'the contour varies substantially.Heretofore, the quantity j-production of impeller-wheels has been subfstantiallyimpairedby virtue of the fact'that' the I polishing of. thevane surfacescould only be satis-.J1

factorily accomplished manually. Such manual operations notonlygreatly'increased the time and cost of production, but'hadthefurther disadvantage of being dependent inza largeextent .upon theskill of the particular operator, and hence being subject to widevariations :in the quality and uniformity of surface finish obtained."Accordingly'it is an object of this invention to provide-an improvedpolishing machine for complex arcuate'surfaces of a workpiece,andparticularly a machine that will rapidly; economically and uniformlyefiect the polishing ofthewane surfaces of an impeller wheel.

A particular object of this invention is to pro- :vide a polishingmachine wherein a moving abrasive belt is caused to be'trained over thevane surface ofan impeller'wheel to polish the same, and wherein theimpellerwheel is inde'xably' carried on a platform'movabletransverselywith respect to the belt so that the successive vanes thereof may bereadily'withdrawn from contact with the beltv and the next vane movedinto position to be: contacted'by the belt.

Still another object of this-"invention is to 5' provide an improvedpolishing'machinefor the vanes ofzan impeller wheel wherein amore'uniform polishing effectmay be produced upon the "successive vanesurfaces by training a traveling abrasive belt successively over each ofthe vane surfaces J in substantially identical spatial 'rela--.,-

. tionship thereto.

Still another object: of this invention istofpiovide an improved belt Ilifter mechanism for an i endless abrasive belt by which the "-belt maybe :manually shifted to an. inoperative position with comeapparent tothose skilled-in theart from the followingdetailed descriptionof the.annexed sheets of drawings which, by way of preferred ex- I ample-only,illustrate one specific embodiment of the invention.

- On the drawing: Figure 1 is aside elevational view of a polishing-machi-ne embodying this invention,- showing the polishing position ofanimpeller workpiece in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a plan view of ethe machineof Figurel;

- Figure 3 isva partiahplanview, illustrating the position of w the worksupporting carriage when the workpiece is- 'w'ithdrawn from thepolishing Figure 4 is .an enlarged scale sectional view taken on theplane IV-IV of Figure 3; and

-upon astand lfl formed-byweldedassemblage of structural steel members(and providing a hat table or-base portion Illa with depending side---fianges lflband H10, respectively, along opposed longitudinal edges.A table extension unit ll is rigidly secured to side flange iilc of thetable top 10d and provides support for apair of spaced, upstandingbearing brackets l2. A similar pair of bearing brackets l3--are mountedon the op- -posite side fiange 10b of :the tabletop Mia and arerespectively aligned with the bearing brackets [2.

Each pair of opposed bearingbrackets 12 and it supports aslide -rod I 4which extends transversely acrossthe table top la in overlyingrelationship thereto.

A work supporting platform orslide i5 is provided having-.aplurality ofdepending bearing members i6 rigidly-secured thereto asby bolts 16a bywhich'the slide I5 is slidabiy supported on the rod-lifor transversemovement across the :top of table I-Oa. Slide I5 is provided on its topsurface with-an upstanding hub, portion llwhich is suitably dimensionedso. as to-mount an impeller wheel W thereon for indexing movement about:the axis of thewheel. Theterm impeller is usedherein in a. genericsense to define any element having circumferentially spaced fluid guidevanes. Whenthe slidefi is in its polishing posi- --ti0n,-i11ustrated inFigure 2, one .or more vane elements V ofthe impeller wheel Woverhangsthe right handedge (bottomof Figure 2) of the base 46a,When-the slide it is shifted'to its loading and indexing position, asshown in Figure 3, then the vanes V of the impeller wheel W do notproject over the right hand edge of the base iiia.

In accordance with this invention, an endless abrasive belt '20 issupported for peripheral movement adjacent the right hand edge or thebase [a so as to contact one of the vanes V of the impeller wheel W whenthe work supporting slide I is shifted to its polishing position. Thebelt 20 is supported in extended relationship, with its abrasive surfaceon the inside, by a plurality of pulleys, respectively a pulley 2| andpulley 23. Pulley 2| is the driving pulley, being keyed to the shaft 22aof a suitable motor 22 which in turn is secured by bolts 22b independing relationship to a support plate llld. The support plate Hid issecured in depending relationship to the table top Illa by a pluralityof mounting bolts I96. Pulley 23 is journaled on the end of a supportarm 24, which in turn is mounted 'on an upstanding angle bracket 25secured to the top of table Illa. To conveniently adjust the peripheralpath of the endless abrasive belt 20, the position of pulley 23 may beadjusted over a wide range by varying the angular position of thesupport arm 24 with respect to the angle brackets 25. This isaccomplished by securing support arm 24 to angle bracket 25 by a bolt 26and nut 22' which passes through a suitable hole in support arm 24 andthrough an elongated vertical slot 25a formed in the angle bracket 25.

To tension the belt 2!! during polishing operation, as well as toprovide sufficient slack in the belt to permit the belt to be raisedfrom the work surface. as will be later described, a be t tighten-' ingpulley 28 is provided which is journaled on the end of an arm 29 whichhas its other end pivotally mounted on a pin 3911 supported in adepending bracket 30 secured to the table portion Illa. A tension spring3| operates between the arm 29 and a fixed portion of the table toresiliently urge the belt tightening pulley 29 in the direction toeffect a tightening of the belt 29.

With the construction thus far described, it is apparent that thevarious vanes V of an impeller workpiece W may be successively polishedby the simple expedient of moving the slide l5 to its polishing positionas illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing wherein one of thevanes V will project into the path of and be engaged by the endlessabrasive belt 20. After the polishing operation on such vane iscompleted, the slide i5 is moved laterally to its loading and indexingposition, as illustrated in Figure 3, where the vanes are free of thebelt 20, and the impeller wheel W is angularly indexed a distancecorresponding to the angular spacing of the vanes V and the polishingoperation repeated u on the next vane. However, it should be readilyapparent that there would be an excessive abrading action produced uponthe peripheral edge of any vane being polished, due to the initialpicking up of the endless belt 20 upon the vane and the release of thebelt 23 from the vane. when engagement or disengagement of the belt isaccomplished solely by the lateral movements of the work supportingslide I5.

This undesirable effect is overcome in accordance with this invention byproviding a belt lifting mechanism comprising a pair of rollers 35journaled in spaced relationship on a support link 36. The rollers 35are sufiiciently spaced so as to engage the endless belt 20 at pointsrespectively ahead of and behind the position of a vane V upon which thepolishing operation is being performed. The end of link 36 is pivotallymounted on a pin 39 suitably journaled in a bushing 31 rigidly securedto the table side flange I00. An operating handle 39 is also journaledon the pin 38 and is rigidly secured to the link 35 as by welding.Hence, manipulation of the handle 39 will effect a shifting of therollers 35 from their inactive position shown in solid lines in Figure1, to their dotted line belt raising position, and it is apparent thatin this latter position the belt 20 will be raised out of engagementwith the vane V being polished. Of course, the additional extension ofthe belt 2!! required to permit such raising is provided by a shiftingof the belt tightening roller 28 against the bias of the spring 3|.

Since the belt 29 should be maintained in its raised position relativeto the vanes V of the workpiece during both the operations of retractinga polished vane from the polishing position and reinserting anunpolished vane, this invention provides a manually operable lockingmechanism 4|] for releasably retaining the belt raising mechanism in itsnon-polishing or raised position.

The latching mechanism Gil is best shown in Figure 5 and comprises alatching bar or slide 4! which is slidably journaled on the top of ablock 42 which is suitably secured as by welding to the table sideflange I00. The slide 4| overlies a recess 42a formed in bracket 42 andsuch recess is employed to accommodate a spring 43, which operatesagainst the bottom end of a vertical pin M which projects through asuitable aperture in the slide bar 4|. A cover plate 45 is provided toguide the sliding movements of the slide bar 4| and such plate isprovided with an elongated slot 45a through which the top portion of thepin 44 projects. The length of the slot 45:: thus determines the extentof travel 01 the pin 94, and hence of the slide bar 4|.

The end of slide bar 4| projects into the path of the handle member 35of the belt shifting mechanism and has a cam surface 4|a formed thereonto permit the handle member to immediately cam the s ide bar 4| out ofits path when such member is being shifted to its belt raising position.Having once passed the slide bar M, it snaps into overlying engagementwith the top surface of the handle 39 and hence prevents the return ofhandle 39 to its inactive or polishing position. The belt shiftingmechanism will thus be held in its belt raised or non-polishing positionuntil the slide bar 4| is manually released by pushing the pin M toretract the slide bar 4| from the path of the handle 39. Having oncelatched the handle 39 in its non-polishing position, the operator canproceed with a great deal of freedom in shifting the slide [5 andindexing the workpiece W thereon without any substantial danger ofinadvertently contacting the vane surfaces with the traveling abrasivebelt 2!];

If desired, to facilitate the indexing operation, an indexingpositioning device 50 may be provided. As is best shown in Figure 4,such device comprises a plunger 5| which is horizontally slidable in asuitable housing formed by the bolted assembl of two housing half parts52 and 53, respectively. Half part 52 defines a recess 52a within whichis mounted a spring 54. Spring 54 operates against the bottom end 'of'avertical pin 55 which is mounted in a suitable aperture in the plunger5| and projects upwardly through an elongated slot 53a formed in the tophousing part 53. The plunger 5| is of sufficient i :ieng'tl'r toproject:intofthe pathiof-ithe 'vanes.1V:of

fsim'peller wheeliW wheninsuchiiplun erzzls1in1its:ex- -':tended'position,iias'ishown. in Figure; 4. Torre- ;tduceIthe"'po'ssibility'.of :marring "the vanes 'V .of

athezimpeller wheel W, .arcontact.buttonjlieof i relativelysoft-:material may be :mounted' in the 'Ben'dJof'pIunger'BE andsecured'therein by a set screw 51.

"In its normal position, the plunger 5| projects 'in betweentwoadjacent'vanes V of the impeller Wand-hence functions to 'angularlyindex the ":impelIer'W with respect to .the': slide support'lE. To shiftthe impeller W1aboutits'tsupport'post'll,

: the pin 55 'ismanually1graspedx'andimoved raadiallyioutwardly'relative; to thevimpeller to. re-

-'.tra'ct.the 1plunger.:'5| .from its position intermediate .thevanesfiwhereuponqthe' impeller may be freely rotated an angular distance:corre- {sponding to the-separationof vanes-whereupon *the pin 55.isreleasedand the plunger El -moved backto.itsindexingrelationship withrespect to =the next impeller vane.

The weight'of the belt lifting m'echanism'is suitably proportionedso'that' when the handle 39 is manually released,"the-entire mechanismwill:

tend to pivot in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1,to.assumeaposition' out of-engagement with the' traveling'belt 2G. The gravitaltional movement of the belt lifting 'mechanism :is arrested in suchinoperativepositionby en-' ngagementof a depending L,-shaped'stopbracket 39a which is secured to'medial portion of the handle 39 andengages a rigid'projecting' pin 48 :mounted on the sideof the bracketwhich-sup- ,ports the latch mechanism.

. From the foregoing description-it is apparent that a polishingmachineembodying .thisinventionpermits thepolishing of the main surfaceset an impeller. wheel to be accomplished rapidly, economically andaccurately. In particular,

"with such a machina'there'is no danger of the polishing belt beinginadvertently engaged with finished'surfaceportions "of the impel erwheel 1 workpiece so as to mar or gouge such. "Further- ":more, a veryuniform degree of p'oli'shing'can be appended c aims.

vI claim es my invention:

'1.Machine for successively polishing. circum- "'ferentially' spaced"surfaces on a workp ece having "an opening therethrough, comprising anendless abrasive belt, aplurality of fixed pulleys supporting said beltin' extended relation, po er means for driving one of said pulleys, acarriage having an upstanding hub member said' "workpiece bein 'positionedon sa d carriage with he "hub extending through the "workpiece openingand providing a pivotaxis for rotational indexing movements, meansengaging said workpiece for -locking said workpiece against rotationduring ""thefp'olishing movement of said belt, said. carriage and said'be t being'r'elatively' movable betweenremote positions. and fixedpolishing positions wherein said belt contacts one of said surfaces ofthe workpiece, anda belt shifting mecha-1.znismfselectivelyengageable'with'z said :b'elttoi'shift ttherbelt.:out. of engagement .with: the workpiece .1 to tpermit unipeded relativemovementstbetween "said beltand carriage.

. .2. Machine for successively polishing "circum- :ferentially spaced;radially extending surfaces on ta Workpiecefhaving an" openingtherethrough, .comprising anxendless abrasive belt, a plurality :offixed pulleys supporting said belt'in' extended relation, power. meansfor driving onex-ofisaid pulleys, a spring"pressedmovable'pulleyengaging said belt .totighten'the same; a carriage havinganupstaridinghub member, said workpiece beingpositioned on'z'saidcarriage with'the'hub :imember. extending through the workpiece opensing and providingapivot laXlS .forrindexing ".movements Jabout the workpiece "axis, lockmeans engaging-said workpiece for locking" said workpiece against"rotation during polishing movement of the" belt means supporting saidcarriage for movement'transverse to the path' of said belt betweenpositions remote and proximate to said belt, thereby permitting aselected arouatesurface of the workpiece to be immovably positionedin'the path of said belt, and manually operable means for shifting'saidbelt to. selectively'move said belt out of contact with the positionedworkpiece, thereby-permitting movement of said carriage to and'from saidpolishing position without interference with said belt.

3.'Machine for'polishingi the vanes .of an imt'pellerwheel having anaxial opening comprising: an". endless abrasive .belt, pulley means fordriving and supporting' said belt in' open, extended relationship, aplatform. movable transversely with respect to' said'belttoand'from apolishing position .adiacent'thebelt, an upstandring' hub on saidplatform extending through said axial opening? for "supportingan'irnpeller wheel for'free'rotary adjusting movement about its axis,thereby successively"positioningtthe vanes I thereof in'fixed positionfor engagement by said belt when said platform is shifted to'saidpolish- ;ingiposition;. an arm pivotally mounted" adjacent said belt; apair of rollers mounted'on said arm,

"said." rollers being. constructed and arranged to trespectively engageportions of said belt ahead of and behindfthe polishing position'of apositioned impeller" vane, and manual means for shifting pulleyssupporting said belt in extended relation, power means for driving oneof said pulleys, a i'carriage' movable relative to said belt; acentering member on said carriagedisposed in said axial 'saidiarm' toraisesaid belt out of'contact with the 'fixedlypositioned impeller vane.

4. Machine for'successively polishing circumferentially spaced,complex'arcuate surfaces on a workpiece having an axial opening,comprisin c an endless abrasive belt, a plurality of fixed 'opening'forsu porting the workpiece for free rotational indexing movements'aboutthe workpi ce ax s, saidcarriage being movable relative to sa d beltbetween a" remote position and a fixed polishing position wherein saidbelt contacts one of said arcuate surfaces of the workpiece, a belt shiting mechanism engageable with said belt to shift the beltoutof-engagement with the workpiece to permit unimpeded relative movementsbetween saidbeltand carriage, and means'for 76' releasably latchingsaidbelt shifting. mechanism .in "its belt shifted position.

.5. Machine for polishing thevanes of an impeller-Wheel having; anaxial: opening comprising anendlessabrasive-belt, pulley means fordrivmg and.- supporting said. belt in open,-"extended relationship, aplatform movable transversely with respect to said belt to and from apolishing position adjacent the belt, a centering member on saidplatform engaging in said axial opening for supporting an impeller wheelfor free rotary indexing movement about its axis, thereby successivelypositioning the vanes thereof in fixed position for engagement by saidbelt when said platform is shifted to said polishing position, an armpivotally mounted adjacent said belt, a pair of rollers mounted on saidarm, said rollers be ing constructed and arranged to respectively engageportions of said belt ahead of and behind the polishing position of anypositioned impeller vane, manual means for shifting said arm to raisesaid belt out of contact with the positioned impeller vane, and meansfor releas-ably latching said arm in its belt raising position.

6. Machine for polishing the vanes of an impeller wheel having an axialopening comprising an endless abrasive belt, pulley means for drivingand supporting said belt in open, extended relationship, a movable belttightening pulley, resilient means urging said belt tightening pulley inthe direction to tighten said belt, a platform movable transversely withrespect to said belt to and from a fixed polishing position adjacent thebelt, a centering member on said platform engaging in said axial openingfor supporting an impeller wheel for free rotary indexing movement aboutits axis, thereby successively positioning the vanes thereof forengagement by said belt when said platform is shifted to said polishingposition, an arm pivotally mounted adjacent said belt, a pair of rollersmounted on said arm, said rollers being constructed and arranged torespectively engage portions of said belt ahead of and behind theposition of a positioned impeller vane, and manual means for shiftingsaid arm to raise said belt out of contact with the positioned impellervane.

7. A machine for polishing the vanes of an impeller wheel having anaxial opening comprising a base, a pair of spaced slide rods extendinglaterally across said base, a platform slidably mounted on said sliderods, a hub on said platform for engaging in the axial opening of saidwheel and supporting the wheel for free rotary indexing movements aboutthe wheel axis, locking means engaging said workpiece in successiveindexed positions and rigidly holding said workpiece whereby successivevanes may be rigidly positioned in overhanging relation to the edge of Isaid base, an endless abrasive belt, a plurality of pulleys mounted onsaid base adjacent said edge for supporting said belt in an extendedcondition adjacent said edge of the base and abutting the surface of anoverhanging vane, power means for driving one of said pulleys toperipherally move said belt, thereby polishing said vane surface, and amanually operable belt lifter mechanism having a pair of rollersengageable with said belt respectively on either side of the overhangingvane, said belt shifting mechanism being shiftable to a position whereinsaid belt is lifted off said vane surface.

8. A machine for polishing the vanes of an impeller wheel having anaxial opening comprising a base, a pair of spaced slide rods extendinglaterally across said base, a platform slidably mounted on said sliderods, a vertical hub on said platform engaging in the axial opening ofthe impeller wheel and supporting the wheel for free rotary indexingmovements about the wheel axis, whereby successive vanes of the impellerV rality of pulleys mounted on said base adjacent said edge forsupporting said belt in an extended condition adjacent said edge of thebase and abutting the surface of an overhanging vane, a movable belttightening pulley engaging said belt, resilient means urging said pulleyin a direction to tighten said belt, means for driving one of saidpulleys to peripherally move said belt, thereby polishing said vanesurface, a manually operable belt lifter mechanism having a pair ofrollers engageable with said belt respectively on either side of theoverhanging vane, said mechanism being shiftable to a position whereinsaid belt is lifted off said vane surface, and means for looking saidbelt lifting mechanism in its belt raising position.

9. A machine for polishing an impeller wheel having a central aperturedhub and spaced vanes extending radially from the hub, comprising a base,a plurality of pulleys pivotally mounted on said base, a polishing beltdisposed in a closed loop over said pulleys in a substantially verticalplane alongside the side face of said base, journals mounted on saidbase, a carriage having support rods slidably disposed in said journalsfor movement transversely of said base toward and away from said belt,an upstanding pivot hub on said carriage arranged to extend through theaperture of the wheel and guide it for free selective rotation about theaxis of the hub, a bar slidably mounted on said base having an endportion movable to a position between adjacent blades on the wheel toprevent rotation of the wheel, spring means connected to one of saidpivoted pulleys and arranged to urge the belt against a blade disposedinside the loop, and means acting against said spring means for movingsaid belt away from the workpiece prior to lateral movement of saidcarriage.

10. A machine for polishing the curved surface of a blade comprising asupport structure, a carriage slidable on said structure, a pair ofpulleys disposed for rotation adjacent said support structure, means fordriving said pulleys, a belt disposed in a loop over said pulleys, meansfor locking a blade on said carriage in a position extendingsubstantially normal to the plane of said pulleys, and means forspreading the loop of said belt, said carriage being movable on saidsupport structure to position the blade inside said spread loop with thecurved surface adjacent the belt.

11. A machine for polishing a workpiece having a central portion andspaced vanes radiating outwardly from the central portion, a carriagemounting the workpiece for rotation about its axis independently ofmovement of said carriage, an endless abrasive belt, a plurality ofpulleys supporting said belt in extended relation, power means fordriving one of said pulleys, said carriage and said belt beingrelatively movable between remote positions and fixed polishingpositions wherein said belt contacts one of the vanes of the workpiece,and a belt shifting mechanism selectively engageable with said belt toshift the belt out of engagement with the workpiece prior to movement ofsaid carriage to permit .unimpeded relative movement between said beltand said vane.

HENRY C. STIEGLITZ.

(References on following page) REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 700,293 Becker May 20 1902998,351 Kroeze July 18, 1911 1,042,354 Kroeze Oct. 22, 1912 Number 10Name Date Williams Feb. 8, 192? Yerkey Apr. 24, 1928 Aurori et a1. Oct.4, 1932 Oakley Jan. 1, 1935 Maca Oct. 19, 1943 Morawski May 18, 1948Brown Nov. 2, 1948

